Of Werewolves And Unicorns
by websurffer
Summary: With the coming war, Dumbledore gives permission for Animagus training to take palce in the higher years. But there are a few surprises to be found along the way. one-shot.


Harry, Hermione, and Ron peered over the rim of the cauldron. They all saw something different, as was to be expected, the potion was keyed to your specific animal.  
  
Ron saw a deep ocean blue liquid and, to him, it smelled like the air outside just after a storm. He thought he might be something that had wings, or liked open spaces. Funny, he had always thought of himself as being a fox.  
  
Hermione smelt freshly cut grass and saw a slightly runny tree-bark brown substance. She hoped she wasn't a squirrel. Imagine how _awful_ that would be! Even **BIGGER** teeth and even **BUSHIER** hair. She shuddered in horror at the thought.  
  
Harry saw a completely white potion and smelt nothing. He was worried. Wasn't there supposed to be something? Some sort of indication that he had an inner form? He'd just have to risk it and drink the potion.  
  
They all looked up as, across the Transfiguration classroom, Neville Longbottom transformed into a magnificently fierce lion. As the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, had finally admitted the return of You-Know-Who, all the sixth and seventh years were beginning Animagus training. It was to take up the entire first semester.  
  
Professor McGonagall approached their table and approved their potion. The next step was to, one at a time, drink a vile of the potion and then become comfortable in their new forms. The main reason behind the one-at-a-time theory was that, if you lost control, your friends should be able to help you. Also, other teachers were wandering the class. Snape, Lupin and Flitwick were all there to help with some of the more...powerful transformations.  
  
Hermione was to go first. Downing the entire draught in one long swallow, the changes began. She screwed up her face at the rather strange sensation of her organs, bones and skin rearranging around her. Soon, a beautiful doe stood majestically before them.  
  
"Lovely, Ms. Granger, not many people have the inner grace it takes to hold a deer form," the diminutive Professor Flitwick happily declared. Hermione serenely dipped her head in acknowledgement.  
  
Ron was up next. Attempting to imitate Hermione, he tried downing the potion in one long gulp. About half way through he took the cup from his lips to breathe a bit before finishing off the rest. The first thing to occur was the he sprouted feathers all over his body. After the initial slowness the changes became lightning quick and soon a Red-tailed hawk stood proudly on the edge of the desk.  
  
Harry laughed and said, "Now you can move as quickly as your temper." Ron was, needless to say, not amused.  
  
Now it was Harry's turn and he was quite worried. As he'd watched the other two change he'd noticed the there were some subtle hints of gray in the potion and the it smelled kind of dusty. Sigh in resignation he downed the potion and nearly yelped at the break neck speeds at which the changes occurred. Soon he stood slightly hunched over, balancing on four huge clawed paws. He had a long snout that tapered slightly towards the end into a dog like nose. Pitch black fur covered his entire body except for a few dark gray streaks along his sides and a blaze of white on his forehead. He felt razor shape teeth filling his mouth and had to wonder what on earth he could be.  
  
He looked up from examining what he could see of himself to find the entire class (an odd mix of humans and animals at the moment) solidly staring at him in terror. Slowly he turned to face the huge mirror the McGonagall had set up for the new Animagus' to examine them selves in. He did not expect what he saw there.  
  
A werewolf.  
  
He blinked. It was supposed to be impossible to transform into a magical being. Yet here he was, a fully-grown werewolf Animagus. He whimpered lightly in his throat, too quietly for any one in the class to really hear. They were all scared of him now, even though he'd never hurt them. They only saw a monster.  
  
Professor Lupin got over his shock first and cautiously ventured closer to Harry. No one was completely sure if Harry was in control of his animal form, but Remus hoped that, as a werewolf himself, that he'd be able to help Harry. Sooner than he'd have liked, he was next to the werewolf. Harry looked over and slightly down at him, his wolf form was truly impressive this close.  
  
"Harry?" Remus's voice seemed to tremble a little.  
  
With a wolfish grin and a little whine Harry lightly butted his head against the Professor's shoulder. Remus smiled and most of the class relaxed and went back to their own transformations. Hermione daintily picked her way across the floor with Ron perched on her shoulder. Their eyes danced with mirth as the fully took in Harry's new form.  
  
Harry huffed and looked over just in time to see Malfoy drain his vial of potion. Ron and Hermione both turned to watch as Malfoy grew slightly in size and as fur covered his body. They watched as Harry realized exactly what Malfoy was becoming. They watched as a magnificent silver horn spiraled up out of the short white fur on Malfoy's forehead. They watched him become one of the purest beings on Earth. They watched him become a unicorn.  
  
Slowly Harry approached Malfoy. Gently, he gave an almost questioning whine, to which Malfoy tossed his head and snorted in seeming agreement. The class had once again stopped what they were doing to watch the drama unfold. Slowly and being very careful of his claws, Harry lifted an enormous paw to rest on Malfoy's elongated muzzle. The class gasped as the implications sank in. The Boy-Who-Lived just made peace, if not a friendship, with a **_MALFOY_**. A Death Eater in training! Ron and Hermione moved closer and also made their peace with Draco.  
  
The Golden Trio had now become a Quartet, and all because of one Transfigurations class.

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A/N: R and R 


End file.
